The Letters of Queen Victoria Volume Iii Part 111

Lord Clarendon trusts that your Majesty will approve the decision.

Lord Granville's visit appears to be highly appreciated by the Court.

_Queen Victoria to the King of the Belgians._

BALMORAL, _21st October 1861_.

MY DEAREST UNCLE,--You will excuse a long letter as this is our last day, alas! Many, many thanks for your dear letters of the 17th and 18th, which I received yesterday. I am glad to see that my account of our mountain expedition amused you, and that you remember all so well.

If it could amuse you later, I would send you my _Reisebeschreibung_ to read. I will have it copied and send it you later. We have had a most beautiful week, which we have thoroughly enjoyed--I going out every day about twelve or half-past, taking luncheon with us, carried in a basket on the back of a Highlander, and served by an _invaluable_ Highland servant I have, who is _my factotum here_, and takes the most wonderful care of me, combining the offices of groom, footman, page, and _maid_, I might almost say, as he is so handy about cloaks and shawls, etc. He always leads my pony, and always attends me out of doors, and _such_ a good, handy, _faithful_, attached servant I have nowhere; it is quite a sorrow for me to leave him behind. Now, with Albert's affectionate love, ever your devoted Niece,

VICTORIA R.

[Pageheading: THE _TIMES_ AND PRUSSIA]

_Queen Victoria to Viscount Palmerston._

WINDSOR CASTLE, _25th October 1861_.

The Queen has long seen with deep regret the persevering efforts made by the _Times_, which leads the rest of our Press, in attacking, vilifying, and abusing everything German, and particularly everything Prussian. That journal had since years shown the same bias, but it is since the Macdonald affair of last year,[49] that it has a.s.sumed that tone of virulence, which could not fail to produce the deepest indignation amongst the people of Germany, and by degrees estrange the feelings of the people of this country from Germany. Lord Palmerston, probably not reading any German newspaper, nor having any personal intercourse with that country, can hardly be aware to what extent the mischief has already gone, though he will agree with the Queen that national hatred between these two peoples is a real political calamity for both. The Queen had often intended to write to Lord Palmerston on the subject, and to ask him whether he would not be acting in the spirit of public duty if he endeavoured, as far at least as might be in his power, to point out to the managers of the _Times_ (which derives some of its power from the belief abroad that it represents more or less the feelings of the Government) how great the injury is which it inflicts upon the best interests of this country. She has, however, refrained from doing so, trusting in the chance of a change in tone, and feeling that Lord Palmerston might not like to enter into discussion with the Editors of the _Times_....

The Queen believes that Lord Palmerston is the only person who could exercise any influence over Mr Delane, and even if this should not be much, it will be important that that gentleman should know the mischief his writings are doing, and that the Government sincerely deplore it.

[Footnote 49: At Bonn, in September 1860, Captain Macdonald, a railway pa.s.senger, had been ejected from his seat in the train by the railway authorities, and committed to prison.

The incident became the subject of considerable diplomatic correspondence, as well as of some fierce attacks on Prussia in the _Times_.]

[Pageheading: THE ENGLISH PRESS]

_Mr Delane to Viscount Palmerston._[50]

16 SERJEANT'S INN, _28th October 1861_.

MY DEAR LORD,--I shall be very glad to give the Prussians a respite from that most cruel of all inflictions--good advice.

Indeed, I would not have intruded anything so unwelcome during the splendid solemnities of the Coronation had not the King uttered those surprising anachronisms upon Divine Right.

Pray observe, too, in extenuation of my offence that I sent a faithful chronicler to Konigsberg, who has described all the splendours in a proper and reverent spirit, and done what man can do to render such ceremonies intelligible, and the recital of them not too wearisome to those who believe in Divine Right as little as your Lords.h.i.+p's very faithful Servant,

JOHN T. DELANE.

[Footnote 50: Enclosed in the following letter.]

[Pageheading: THE _TIMES_]

_Viscount Palmerston to Queen Victoria._

WINDSOR CASTLE, _30th October 1861_.

Viscount Palmerston presents his humble duty to your Majesty, and begs to state that when he received a few days ago from Lord Russell the Memorandum which your Majesty intended for him, and which he returned to Lord Russell, he wrote to Mr Delane in accordance with your Majesty's wishes, and he has this morning received the accompanying answer.

Viscount Palmerston would, however, beg to submit that an erroneous notion prevails on the Continent as to English newspapers.

The newspapers on the Continent are all more or less under a certain degree of control, and the most prominent among them are the organs of political parties, or of leading public men; and it is not unnatural that Governments and Parties on the Continent should think that English newspapers are published under similar conditions.

But in this country all thriving newspapers are commercial undertakings, and are conducted on commercial principles, and none others are able long to maintain an existence. Attempts have often been made to establish newspapers to be directed by political men, and to be guided by the same considerations by which those men would govern their own conduct, but such papers have seldom succeeded.

The Peelite Party tried some years ago such an experiment with the _Morning Chronicle_, but after spending a very large sum of money on the undertaking they were obliged to give it up. The _Times_ is carried on as a large commercial enterprise, though, of course, with certain political tendencies and bias, but mainly with a view to profit upon the large capital employed.

The actual price at which each copy of the newspaper is sold barely pays the expense of paper, printing, and establishment; it is indeed said that the price does not repay those expenses. The profit of the newspaper arises from the price paid for advertis.e.m.e.nts, and the greater the number of advertis.e.m.e.nts the greater the profit. But advertis.e.m.e.nts are sent by preference to the newspaper which has the greatest circulation; and that paper gets the widest circulation which is the most amusing, the most interesting, and the most instructive.

A dull paper is soon left off. The proprietors and managers of the _Times_ therefore go to great expense in sending correspondents to all parts of the world where interesting events are taking place, and they employ a great many able and clever men to write articles upon all subjects which from time to time engage public attention; and as mankind take more pleasure in reading criticism and fault-finding than praise, because it is soothing to individual vanity and conceit to fancy that the reader has become wiser than those about whom he reads, so the _Times_, in order to maintain its circulation, criticises freely everybody and everything; and especially events and persons, and Governments abroad, because such strictures are less likely to make enemies at home than violent attacks upon parties and persons in this country. Foreign Governments and Parties ought therefore to look upon English newspapers in the true point of view, and not to be too sensitive as to attacks which those papers may contain.

[Pageheading: DEMOCRACY IN PRUSSIA]

_The Earl of Clarendon to Queen Victoria._

BERLIN, _5th November 1861_.

Lord Clarendon presents his humble duty to your Majesty, and humbly begs to say that as he leaves Berlin to-morrow, the Princess Royal has most kindly just given him an Audience of leave, although Her Royal Highness was still suffering considerable pain in her ear, and was quite unfit for any exertion. Her Royal Highness's countenance bears traces of the severe illness of the last few days, but Lord Clarendon trusts that the worst is now over, and that care alone is necessary for her complete recovery. Her Royal Highness is still so weak that she was obliged to desist from writing, which she attempted this morning, and Lord Clarendon took the liberty of earnestly recommending that the journey to Breslau, upon which Her Royal Highness appeared to be bent, should be given up. Lord Clarendon intends to repeat the same advice to the Queen, whom he is to see this evening, as there are to be four days of rejoicings at Breslau, for the fatigue of which the Crown Princess must be utterly unfit.

Her Royal Highness is much alarmed at the state of things here, and Lord Clarendon thinks with great reason, for the King has quite made up his mind as to the course that he will pursue. He sees democracy and revolution in every symptom of opposition to his will. His Ministers are mere clerks, who are quite content to register the King's decrees, and there is no person from whom His Majesty seeks advice, or indeed who is capable or would have the moral courage to give it. The King will always religiously keep his word, and will never overturn the inst.i.tutions he has sworn to maintain, but they are so distasteful to him, and so much at variance with his habit of thought and settled opinions as to the rights of the Crown, that His Majesty will never, if he can avoid it, accept the consequences of representative Government, or allow it to be a reality. This is generally known, and among the middle cla.s.ses is producing an uneasy and resentful feeling, but as far as Lord Clarendon is able to judge, there is no fear of revolution--the Army is too strong, and the recollection of 1848 is too fresh to allow of acts of violence.

Lord Clarendon had the honour of an Audience of the King on Sunday.

His Majesty was most friendly and kind, but evidently unwell and irritable. Lord Clarendon therefore thought that it would be neither prudent nor useful to say the many things that the Queen had wished that the King should hear from Lord Clarendon. He touched upon the subject of Const.i.tutional Government, and His Majesty said: "I have sworn to maintain our Inst.i.tutions, and I declare to you, and I wish you to inform your Government, that I will maintain them."

Lord Clarendon proposes to remain Friday at Brussels, and hopes to have the honour of seeing the King.

[Pageheading: DEATH OF KING OF PORTUGAL]

_Queen Victoria to the King of the Belgians._